Shockless jolt foundry shake-out



L. F. MILLER ETAL 3,356,132

SHOCKLESS JOLT FOUNDRY SHAKEOUT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. LEO/V F MILLER I 1 BY WARREN A. BLOWER dM/fZa/ig 6.007141% AT ORNEYS Dec. 5, 1967 Filed March 1, 1965 Dec. 5, 1967 Filed March 1, 1965 L. F. MILLER ETAL SHOCKLESS JOLT FOUNDRY SHAKE-OUT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I5 DISPLACEMENT, 1.0 INCHES 92 TIME, szcowos secomo DISPLAGEMENRLO mom-2s TIME,SECONDS G.S DECE LERATION I I ACCELERATION OF GRAVITY 94 TIME, secowos PRIOR ART INVENTORS. LEO/V E M/LLEE WARREN A. BLOWER BMW]; 6 0mm;

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,356,132 SHOCKLESS JOLT FOUNDRY SHAKE-OUT Leon F. Miller, Rocky River, and Warren A. Blower,

Brecksville, Ohio, assignors to The Osborn Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,048 11 Claims. (Cl. 164-401) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally as indicated to a foundry shake-out and more particularly to a pneumatic shockless jolt shake-out which will effectively remove sand from a flask with minimum flask and machine wear.

Heretofore, standard jolt machines as well as vibrating screen type machines have been widely employed in foundries for removing sand from flasks. Both types of machines have serious hortcomings. Vibrating screen type machines do a substantial amount of damage to a flask and a flask might have a life of from five to ten months of constant use with such a machine. A standard jolt machine will, however, increase the useful life of the flask, but not beyond that of the machine itself. A standard jolt flask shake-out usually literally shakes itself apart. This is especially true where castings are employed and it is not uncommon for these castings to break. In fact, instances have been known where as many as thirty welds are used in such castings to attempt to hold them together. Moreover, with the high impact of standard jolt shake-outs, the flask tends to bounce and this, of course, results in flask damage. Flask wear and damage is becoming more important because more and more foundries utilize automatic flask handling conveyor systems and a damaged flask can halt the entire system.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a foundry shake-out which will do a minimum amount of damage both to the flask and itself.

A further principal object is the provision of a shockless jolt type foundry shake-out having an impact less than that of a standard jolt shake-out but a greater frequency.

A further object is the provision of such a shake-out wherein the flask is elevated from a conveyor system for the higher frequency lower impact jolt shake-out.

Still another object is the provision of such a shake-out utilizing heavy-duty clamping means for the flask which will assist and accentuate the shake-out action of the machine.

A still further object is jolt foundry shake-out of having a long useful life.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawthe provision of a shockless relatively simple construction 3,356,132 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 ings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. I is a longitudinal broken vertical section of a foundry shake-out in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is en end elevation partially broken away and in section of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan View of the machine taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a group of comparative curves illustrating the impact and GS obtained with the machine of the pres ent invention as compared to a conventional jolt machine.

Referring now to the annexed drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, the illustrated machine comprises a bed plate 1 on which a base frame 2 is supported which includes an upstanding center cylindrical portion 3. The cylindrical portion 3 is supported and rigidified by gussets or webs 4 extending about the cylinder 3 to the horizontal bottom portion 5 which is contiguous to and coextensive with the bed plate 1.

Supported within the cylinder 3 for vertical elevation is a main clamping piston 7 which includes an upstanding cylindrical portion 8 terminating in a top flange 9. The top of the cylinder portion 3 is provided with a seal assembly 10 surrounding the hollow rod or cylinder portion 8 of the piston 7. A protective sheet metal housing 11 depends from the flange 9 and serves to protect the exposed surface of the vertically movable cylindrical rod 8 from sand and dirt normally in abundance in the environment of the machine of this type.

Supported within the cylinder 8 of the piston 7 is a shockless ram piston 12, the lower end of which includes a depending pilot portion 13 centered within the upper end of a large coil compression spring 14 which extends between the ram piston 12 and the shoulder 15 on the upper inside of the main clamp piston 7. The ram piston 12, like the clamp piston 7, includes an upstanding cylindrical rod portion as indicated at 17 in which is mounted jolt piston 18. The latter includes an annular top 20 which overlies the top of the cylinder 17 and to which is secured, by the fasteners 21, an inverted V-shape casting 22. The casting or cap 22 is provided with a down-turned annular sand falling onto the inclined surfaces of will be properly directed into chutes 33 and 34 on side of the machine.

The top flanges 27 and 28 of the side walls 25 and 26 of the cap 22 either The generally rectangular frame 35 includes at its end portions 33 and 39, which bridge the side walls 25 and 26 of the cap 22, pairs of upstanding flask retaining pilot members 40 and 41. When the frame is elevated, the top 42 thereof will engage the bottom of flask F and the flask will be centered and confined on the top 42 of the frame by upstanding members and 41.

The flask F may be supported for movement into and out of the machine on inwardly projecting rollers 43 and 44 mounted on roller bars 45 and 46, respectively. The roller bars 45 and 46 are secured by brackets 47 to four upstanding posts 48 which extend vertically from the horizontal bottom portion 5 of the base frame 2. The roller bars may further include upstanding guide portions 49 which laterally confine the flask. It will, of course, be understood that the conveyor formed by the rollers 43 and 44 may be merely a continuation of entry and exit conveyors in a continuous automatic flask handling system.

Secured to the top of the posts 48 is a head H from which depend two horizontally extending clamping bars 50 and 51. Each bar is mounted on a pair of studs 52 which pass through bushings 53 in the head H and compression springs 54, surrounding the studs between the bars and head, urge the bars to their lowermost position limited by the nuts 55 secured to the upper ends of the studs.

The underside of the bars may be provided with special flask engaging surfaces 56 and it can readily be seen that as the frame 35 is elevated, the flask P will be lifted from the rollers 43, 44 and that the top thereof will then move against the clamping bars 50 and 51 compressing the springs 54.

To elevate the main piston 7, air may be supplied to the bottom of the cylinder 3 through air inlet 57 seen in FIG. 2 which communicates with a horizontal passage, the end of which may be plugged. This then raises and lowers the piston 7 and the shockless jolt mechanism supported therein and, of course, the cap 22 supporting frame 35 and thus the flask F thereon. Air for the shockless jolting operation may be supplied through horizontal passage 59 seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 which communicate with vertically extending passage 60 in the jolt piston 18. The passage 60 terminates in the bottom of the piston 18 supplying air to the chamber 61 bet-ween the shockless ram piston 12 and the jolt piston 18. Air pressure in the chamber 61 will cause the ram piston 12 to descend against the pressure of the spring 14 and the jolt piston 18 to elevate uncovering exhaust ports 62 communicating with vertically extending exhaust passages 63 between the cylinder 8 and the jolt piston 12. Such vertically extending passages communicate with exhaust ports 65 in the cylinder wall 8 and also communicate with the chamber 66 beneath the ram piston 12. Air may also exit through passage 67 extending to the top of cylinder 17 to pass beneath flange 23 to keep dirt out.

The center of the jolt piston 18 may be provided with a chamber 68 which may constitute a lubricant reservoir and lubricant passages may be provided as shown at 69 communicating with the interface of the various vertically movable cylinders.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the top flange 9 of the cylinder 3 has secured thereto guide rods 70 and 71 as by the nuts 72 threaded on the upper ends thereof projecting through the flange 9. Such rods extend downwardly from the flange 9 through guide bushings 73 mounted on the walls of the cylinder 3 and the lower end of each rod is threaded as indicated at 74 in FIG. 2 and a nut 75 may be adjustably secured thereon. Surrounding each nut 72 and extending upwardly into recesses 77 in the bottom of the cap 26 are compression springs 78. The compression springs 78 oppose the springs 54 during the shockless jolt operation and tend to stabilize the jolt action of the machine reducing slightly the sharpness of the impact obtained.

The flange 9 is also provided with two upstanding collars 80 as indicated in FIG. 2 which fit within counterbores in recesses 81 in the flange 9 receiving for passage operation,

therethrough guide rods 82. The lower end of each rod 82 is provided with a stop nut and washer assembly 83 while the upper end is fitted within the recess 84 in the cap 22. The rods 71, of course, limit the vertical movement of the cylinder 8, and, of course, keep the same from rotating on its vertical axis. The rods 82 limit the vertical movement of the cap during the shockless jolt operation and also keep the cap which includes the jolt piston 18 and its confining cyinder 17 from rotating on its vertical axis.

OPERATION A flask F will be trundled onto the conveyor rollers 43 and 44 with the cap 22 in its lowermost position as indicated in FIG. 1. A latch mechanism, not shown, will center the flask F in the machine. With the flask thus positioned, air will be supplied through the port 57 beneath the clamp piston 7 to elevate the flask from the conveyor and move the same against the clamping bars 50 and 51 compressing the springs 54. The flask F is then firmly held both top and bottom in the machine in a position elevated from the conveyor.

Air will now be supplied through the passage 59 to enter the chamber 61 through the vertical passage 60. Air pressure in the chamber 61 will elevate the jolt piston 18 and depress the ram piston 12 against the pressure of the large compression spring 14 until the exhaust ports 62 are opened permitting the exhaust to escape through the vertical passages 63 to pulse or pressurize momentarily the chamber 66 with the majority of the air escaping through the ports 65 to be exhausted about the lower edge of the skirt 11 as indicated at 90. The frame 35 will then descend due primarily to the force of gravity but additionally to the force of the springs 54 and a jolt impact will be obtained at the point 91 between the ram and jolt pistons. The pulse of pressure into the chamber 66 will also assist the main spring 14 in driving the ram piston 12 upwardly to meet the descending jolt piston 18. It will be appreciated that the relatively short distance movement of the jolt piston 18 during the jolting operation will be insufficient to permit the bars 50 and 51 to leave the top surface of the flask F so that the flask will always remain resiliently clamped in the machine and will be unable to bounce or otherwise be struck to be damaged. At the conclusion of the duration of the jolting action, the air pressure will no longer be supplied to the chamber 61 and the bottom of the clamp piston 7 may now be vented to permit the frame 35 to lower to the position shown in FIG. 1 placing the now empty flask back on conveyor. The latch stop, not shown, may then be removed and the flask F trundled out of the machine. During the jolting the sand will drop onto the inverted V-shape plate 30 to be guided into the chutes 33 and 34 and then to a reclamation point for reuse in the foundry.

As seen in FIG. 4, the curve 92 represents the displacement-time curve obtained with a conventional jolt. The curve 93 indicates the displacement per time obtained with the present invention. The curve 94 represents the G's obtained per time with the present invention. It can now be seen that the displacement during the jolt cycle is relatively smaller than that of a conventional jolt and the impact obtained somewhat less. However, the frequency is substantially higher than a conventional jolt with about 7 to about 11 impacts per second being obtained as compared to approximately 3 per second obtained with a conventional jolt.

The energy delivered to the flask during each jolt impact may be computed as:

.579 X l0" G inch-pounds where G=the ratio of deceleration to the acceleration of gravity The rate this energy (power) is delivered to the mold is:

inch-pounds where: jps=jolts/second This power may be tabulated for various machines such as vibrating machines and conventional jolts and by actual measurement, the power delivered by the machine of the present invention is approximately 4.25 times greater than the power delivered by a conventional jolt of comparable size. A study of the effect of the spring hold-down indicates that the Gs produced were reduced but that the power provided to the flask remains nearly constant.

It will be seen that the energy delivered to the flask occurs at the bottom of each jolt stroke and that basically this energy is the same for a conventional jolt machine and the present invention. However, the present invention has a somewhat shorter stroke and operates at a higher frequency to obtain about 3 times (4.25 by actual measurement) the power of a comparable conventional jolt.

In any event, the elevation of the flask and its resilient clamping to the machine for the higher frequency lower impact jolt action effectively cleans the flask of the sand with a minimum amount of flask wear. Moreover, with the shockless jolt machine illustrated, a self-destructing machine is avoided permitting a long and effective useful life.

It will, of course, be understood that additional holddown bars may be provided supported from the head H depending upon the size and configuration of the flask. Also, a solid plate may be employed which may have downwardly projecting biscuits or blocks which would project into the openings provided by a barred flask. Furthermore, pneumatic springs may readily be substituted for the springs 54 illustrated.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

We, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. A foundry shake-out comprising a vertically movable clamp piston, a vertically movable ram mounted in said clamp piston, a vertically movable jolt piston mounted in said ram, a flask support mounted on said jolt piston, means vertically to elevate said clamp piston and thus a flask on said support lifting the same from a flask supporting conveyor, and means vertically to raise said jolt piston in such elevated position of such flask and drop the same against said ram to shake-out such flask.

2. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 1 including means vertically to move said ram upwardly as said jolt piston is dropped to provide a sh-ockless jolt shake-out.

3. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 2 including a large compression spring supporting said ram for such vertical upward movement within said clamp piston.

4. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 3 including compensating springs between said flask support and clamp piston operative to stabilize such jolt action.

5. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 2 including means to provide a jolt impact of a frequency on the order of 9 impacts per second.

6. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 1 including a clamping head operative to hold such flask on said flask support, and yielda'ole spring means actively urging said head and thus such flask against said flask support in such elevated position operative to accentuate the drop of said jolt piston.

7. A foundry shake-out comprising a flask support, jolt means including a ram piston supporting said flask support, a clamping head above said support, a flask engaging clamp mounted on said clamping head, spring means urging said clamp downwardly, means operative relatively to move said jolt means and thus said support with respect to said clamping head resiliently to hold a flask on said support, means operative to position a flask on said support to be held thereon by said clamp, and means operative to jolt such flask thus clamped by reciprocating said flask support and said ram piston into engagement with each other.

3. A foundary shake-out as set forth in claim 1 including means operative to move said jolt piston upwardly and said ram downwardly simultaneously and to urge the latter upwardly as said jolt piston is dropped.

9. A foundry shake-out comprising a flask support, jolt means supporting said flask support, a clamping head above said support, a flask engaging clamp mounted on said clamping head, spring means urging said clamp downwardly, means operative relatively to move said jolt means and thus said support with respect to said clamping head resiliently to hold a flask on said support, means operative to position a flask on said support to be held thereon by said clamp and jolted, said jolt means including a ram piston and a jolt piston, and means to reciprocate both into engagement with each other to produce such jolt.

10. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 9 wherein said jolt piston is moved toward said ram piston by a combination of gravity and said spring means urging said clamp downwardly.

11. A foundry shake-out as set forth in claim 10 wherein said ram piston is moved toward said jolt piston by a combination of spring and air pressure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,470 3/1926 Robertson et al. 22-95.7 1,695,127 12/1928 Stoney et al 22-957 1,768,429 6/ 1930 Stoney.

1,855,474 9/1932 Crawford 22-957 2,004,293 6/1935 Piper 22-95.7 2,719,346 10/1955 Caciagi 25-41 2,741,815 4/1956 Young 22-957 3,162,910 12/1964 Behnke et al 22-957 3,302,262 2/ 1967 Chanlund 25-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,065,990 9/1959 Germany.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. R. D. BALDWIN, Assistant Examiner. 

7. A FOUNDRY SHAKE-OUT COMPRISING A FLASK SUPPORT, JOLT MEANS INCLUDING A RAM PISTON SUPPORTING SAID FLASK SUPPORT, A CLAMPING HEAD ABOVE SAID SUPPORT, A FLASK ENGAGING CLAMP MOUNTED ON SAID CLAMPING HEAD, SPRING MEANS URGING SAID CLAMP DOWNWARDLY, MEANS OPERATIVE RELATIVELY TO MOVE SAID JOLT MEANS AND THUS SAID SUPPORT WITH RESPECT TO SAID CLAMPING HEAD RESILIENTLY TO HOLD A FLASK ON SAID SUPPORT, MEANS OPERATIVE TO POSITION A FLASK ON SAID SUPPORT TO BE HELD THEREON BY SAID CLAMP, AND MEANS OPERATIVE TO JOLT SUCH FLASK THUS CLAMPED BY RECIPROCATING SAID FLASK SUPPORT AND SAID RAM PISTON INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER. 